


stupid stuff

by playfulparkson (ghostbvrinnit)



Series: irondad oneshots [7]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Anxiety, Bullying, Dissociation, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt Peter Parker, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Whump, Peter Parker is a Mess, Protective Natasha Romanov
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-05
Updated: 2020-06-05
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:55:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24552736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghostbvrinnit/pseuds/playfulparkson
Summary: But what scared her more was his blank expression. He was staring right at her, but it was almost like he couldn’t see her. Eyes bloodshot as he stared into nothingness, not even flinching as she carefully perched herself on the seat next to him.---A reupload because I didn't like what I had written the first time around.
Relationships: Peter Parker & Natasha Romanov, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: irondad oneshots [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1612441
Comments: 5
Kudos: 212





	stupid stuff

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MarvelObsessedgirl3](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarvelObsessedgirl3/gifts).



> tw: 
> 
> dissociation  
> self harm  
> bullying

When Natasha was first introduced to Peter Parker, she wasn't quite sure what to make of the boy.

At first, she had been outraged at Stark for letting a child fight his battles. She had spent weeks reprimanding Stark about it. She knew from first-hand experience what it was like to be having to fight for survival at such a young age. And she didn't wish it upon anyone else.

But that changed after Stark had encouraged her to spend time with Peter.

She could see why Stark had a soft spot for the boy. And honestly, the kid was doing the world of good for the billionaire. Peter was smart – that much was evident. He was able to keep up with Banner and Stark's chatter about science, that sounded like gibberish to her, but she couldn't help but smile at the younger boy as he nodded his head enthusiastically at the things they were saying.

She watched the boy curiously, as he helped Vision in the kitchen with food offering his services as a taste tester. How he would always balance his time so he could work out with Rogers and Barnes in the gym and hang with Wilson and Clint in the communal area. The kid was good for the team, and she was glad that he was there.

(and not that she would ever admit it, but she definitely had a soft spot for Peter Parker.)

**-X-**

The kid stayed over at the compound on weekends, his aunt working long, and late shifts and she was unable to ensure that Peter looked after himself properly. Plus, Natasha knew that Stark loved having the kid round to mess in the lab with.

Peter's presence always lightened the mood in the compound. Even Barnes, who was cold and stoic towards most people, never complained when he heard the kid was coming. He even let the kid play with his metal arm, smirking at Peter as he rambled on.

Natasha knew that Peter had wormed his way past all of her defences with his puppy-dog eyes and rambles that honestly, she never actually listened to – but it made the kids eyes light up when he was talking so she just let him, nodding her head at the right times.

They had gotten back from a mission the previous day, simple HYDRA raid, nothing too hard. However, the team had decided to send the day recovering and just relaxing in their own way. Natasha knew where the others were. Clint having gone back to his family, Stark in his lab. Wilson went out into the city with Maximoff and Vision, and Rogers and Barnes often used the gym, leaving the communal floor completely clear. She liked to take advantage of these days, curling up on the sofa to read, enjoying the peace and quiet.

The elevator sounded, and Natasha could hear sneakers squeaking on the tiled floor, coming towards her. She smiled, knowing it was the kid. Although, she knew he didn’t normally come on Thursdays. She folded the corner of the page down and placed the book on the nearest coffee table, her attention turning to the kid.

Her smile dropped and her stomach clenched as she saw the teen. Anxiety forming a lump in her throat as she scanned him over. His eyes were rimmed red, as if he had been crying. Cheeks flushed and hair dishevelled. There was a bruise on the underside of his eye, and she could have sworn his lip was spilt. He hadn't even noticed her presence, as he dumped his bag on the floor, kicking his shoes off. He wiped his eyes the sleeve of his hoodie and she watched as his whole body tensed as he realised he wasn't alone. Natasha stood up slowly, holding her hands up in a placating manner. Peter stumbled backwards.

"I... uhm. Hi. I didn't...uhm. I didn't realise anyone was here...FRIDAY told me...uhm" He stuttered over his words, a tell-tale sign that he was anxious. That rarely happened anymore. Sure, when they had first met the kid, he had been a bubbling mess of anxiety and fear. But the more time they spent with him, the stutter and formalities dropped.

"Just give me a name. I won't ask how it happened. Just a name" Natasha compromised, already sensing that the boy would protest furiously against her involvement.

"It's no big deal Nat. Just kids at school. I'm handling it, I swear." Natasha frowned. Obviously, it was more than what Peter was making it out to be, but she let it slide. She knew she couldn't force Peter to tell her who was hurting him.

"Ok. I won't push it. At least let me help you clean-up"

Natasha didn't see much of Peter after that. Until dinner. Even then Stark had to drag him out of his room to eat.

It was tense. The team talked and bantered as normal, but nobody missed the worried and furious gazes Stark threw their youngest teammate. Natasha had a feeling that Peter wasn’t telling Stark anything either. She was glad to see that his lip had completely healed, and the bruises by his eyes had almost completely faded. The boy was silent, poking and prodding his food. He refused to look up and make eye contact with anyone. If he was asked a question, he mumbled one-word answers.

Eventually, he excused himself from the table to go back to his room. Stark grabbed his arm, mummering something only audible to Peter. She watched as Peters eyes darted around the table, and then he forced a smile on his face, pulling himself out of Starks grip and leaving them. She watched as Stark buried his head into his hands.

“I wish he would just talk to me about this” He muttered.

**-X-**

Early the next morning, Natasha has heard noise coming from the communal area. She was a light sleeper, so it was no surprise that the sound had woken her up. In a tired daze, she prepared herself to fight, believing it was an intruder.

She did not expect to see Peter, curled in on himself on the sofa. For the second time, her heart dropped like lead as her eyes were drawn to the angry red marks on his arms, and the bloody knife impaling the table.

But what scared her more was his blank expression. He was staring right at her, but it was almost like he couldn’t see her. Eyes bloodshot as he stared into nothingness, not even flinching as she carefully perched herself on the seat next to him.

"Peter? Can you hear me?" She said softly, resting a hand on her his shoulder. She tried not to think about what Peter had done to himself, wanting to focus on drawing him out of his head.

"Peter. Look at me. Can you do that?"

She sighed in relief as his head lolled to the side, his glassy eyes meeting hers. They didn't have the sparkle in them that she loved.

"Ok. That’s good," Natasha scanned him up and down, making sure the injuries on his arms were the only ones. "Ok Pete. You're dissociating. I need you to come back to me, 'kay? I need you to focus on me”

Carefully, but firmly, Natasha squeezed his shoulder in an attempt to ground him and bring him back, mummering reassurances to him as she did. She moved her other hand down and grabbed his hand, gently pinching the tips of his fingers. Gradually, she did it harder and harder. Peter retracted his hand, the glassiness in his eyes was starting to fade.

“Hey. There you are. Come on Pete. Come back.” Natasha kept her voice low, knowing that too much noise could worsen Peter. She kept her tone even as she continued to apply pressure to other parts of his body, slowly, but surely bringing him back. He blinked at her a few times and finally made proper eye contact with her.

Peters frame started shaking as he dissolved into tears. Natasha was quick to react, wrapping her arms around him and bring him into her chest. She moved one hand up into his hair, running it through as he sobbed on her. She didn't know how long they had been sitting like this, but finally, Peter's sobs had died down into small sniffles.

She stood up, reassuring him that she would be back and grabbed the first aid kid that she had used on him the night before, cleaning and wrapping his injured arms up. She then passed him a hoodie so he could cover the bandages up. He leaned up against her, pushing his face into her shoulder. Natasha rested her own arm over his shoulder, drawing shapes on his back in an attempt to soothe him.

“‘M s sorry. M s sorry. I d-dunno w-why I'm cry...ing" Peter gasped out, moving to scratch at his arms. Natasha batted his hand away, forcing his head up so she could look at him.

"You're banned from that word. Effective immediately. I don't want you saying that. Especially when it’s not your fault," Natasha sighed, cupping his face with her other hand "Tell me what's going on. I don't know what Stark's been teaching you, but it's definitely not healthy for you to be bottling things up like this”

“I... This kid at school. It’s dumb I know but…I dunno what I've done but he hates me. He hates me so much and he's always trying to make me feel bad and I dunno. I guess today his words got to me. That and he had his friends beat me up after school." Natasha's eyes narrowed at this.

"What were they saying?" She asked. Peter purposely looked away from her. Her frown deepened as she moved her hand so she could squeeze his gently.

"Stupid stuff. Telling me 'm useless and stuff"

"Stuff?" Natasha prompted, raising her eyes.

"They...told me to kill myself. That my parents wanted to die to get rid of me. That my aunt would be happier if I wasn't burdening her 'nd stuff. It's so stupid Nat. I know I shouldn't care what they're saying. It struck me wrong today 'nd I couldn't stop spiralling-"

Natasha bit her lip, supressing the shout of anger she wanted to let out. She knew that high school kids could mean. But she didn't think that they would resort to this. She didn’t understand how a kid like Peter could go through so much but was still one of the kindest and purest people she had ever met.

"Have you ever done this before?" She questioned quietly.

"Yeah. I used to... a lot. I've been clean for nearly 2 years and I've gone and ruined it and-"

"Hey. Stop that. Right now," Natasha barked, silencing the teen "So you relapsed? It happens to the best of us Pete. No one is going to judge you for it. All of us…We have our bad days and we have our problems. I know, it seems shit right now. But you come to us if you feel like doing this again. You hearing me Parker? I don't care if it me, or Stark, or hell if its Barnes. You come to one of us"

Peter nodded and shifted once again so he was resting his head in her lap. He was exhausted and a quick glance over at the clock told Natasha that it wouldn’t be long before Rogers and Wilson were up for their morning run. She gently started raking her hands through Peter’s hair, smiling at the way he leaned into her touch.

“Go to sleep. I'll be right here when you wake up. then we'll talk to Stark"


End file.
